Saudi Arabia to expel Canadian ambassador and freeze trade in human rights dispute & RAIF BADAWI Humanitarian, Free Thinker, Writer 5AUG18

I wish we had a government that still cared about human rights and was not a war state that puts the profit margins of the military-industrial complex and the wealth of the 1% ahead of human rights in America and around the world. No country is perfect regarding human rights but some do not even try, saudi arabia being one of them. The kingdom of saudi arabia, besides being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, is one of the most brutally governed with extreme disregard for the human rights of anyone living in the kingdom. The bloody saudi rulers enforce their repressive governing style on the neighboring nations on the Arabian peninsula through military intervention as in Bahrain, war as in Yemen, and economic sanctions as those against Qatar. The bloody saudi government exports their total disregard for human rights throughout the Muslim world through the export of wahhabi islam's hatred, bigotry, sexism, anti-Semitism, ignorance and terrorism (al qaeda was started and is funded by saudi's, 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorist were saudi). The funding of the "religious" schools by the saudi government makes the royal family and associated wealthy families and all practicing, promoting, and proselytizing wahhabism apostates. BRAVO to Canada for standing up to the saudi government in support of Samar Badawi, her brother Raif Badawi, Nassima al-Sada and other human rights activist in saudi arabia. PM Justin Trudeau should not look for a way to placate saudi arabia's rulers, instead his administration should review their relationship with saudi arabia and question whether they serve Canada better by supporting human rights in saudi arabia or the blood soaked political and religious rulers of the kingdom. From The Star and more information is available at Raif Bawadi .....

Saudi Arabia to expel Canadian ambassador and freeze trade in human rights dispute

By The Canadian Press

Sun., Aug. 5, 2018

OTTAWA—Saudi Arabia said Sunday it is ordering Canada’s ambassador to leave the country and freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada in a spat over human rights.

“We consider the Canadian ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia persona non grata and order him to leave within the next 24 hours,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on Twitter.

And the ministry said Saudi Arabia is recalling its ambassador to Canada in a dispute that appears to be over a tweet on Friday from Global Affairs Canada.

“Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful human rights activists,” the Canadian tweet said.

The Saudi foreign ministry called the use of “immediately release” in Canada’s tweet “unfortunate, reprehensible, and unacceptable in relations between states.”

Foreign Policy CAN

✔@CanadaFP

Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists.

10:10 AM - Aug 3, 2018

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Chrystia Freeland

✔@cafreeland

Very alarmed to learn that Samar Badawi, Raif Badawi’s sister, has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi.

10:46 AM - Aug 2, 2018

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It called Canada’s characterization of the activists “an incorrect claim” and called Canada’s attitude “surprising.”

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“Any other attempt to interfere with our internal affairs from Canada, means that we are allowed to interfere in Canada’s internal affairs,” it said.

Global Affairs Canada told The Canadian Press on Sunday night it was aware of the issue but offered no immediate comment.

Saudi Arabia said it was also freezing all new trade and investment transactions with Canada and “reserves its right to take further action.”

It said it will not accept any form of interference in its internal affairs and considers the Canadian position “an attack” requiring a firm stance to deter who “attempts to undermine the sovereignty” of Saudi Arabia.

Amnesty International has said Badawi, the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi, was recently detained along with Nassima al-Sada, another prominent female activist.

The human rights group’s Middle East research director described the arrests as part of a larger crackdown on human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Jackie Hansen, a gender rights campaigner for Amnesty International Canada, said last Thursday that the circumstances of the arrests were still unclear and there’s no news of any charges.

Badawi’s brother was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and later sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for criticizing clerics.

He received 50 lashes in January 2015 during a public flogging but is not believed to have received any further corporal punishment since then.

His wife and three children live in Quebec and became Canadian citizens last month.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said on social media last Thursday she was “alarmed” to hear of Samar Badawi’s arrest.

“Canada stands together with the Badawi family in this difficult time, and we continue to strongly call for the release of both Raif and Samar Badawi,” she wrote on Twitter.